The present invention relates in general to limb restraining devices, and, in particular, to an adjustable limb holder apparatus wherein the apparatus will not inadvertently tighten, or loosen, after appropriate adjustment has been made--so as to preclude inadvertent, potentially painful and injurious, constriction of the apparatus about the restrained limb during movement by the patient.
Limb restraining devices have been utilized for many years to substantially immobilize one or more limbs of a patient by securing such limbs to a relatively fixed object, such as a bed post. Such prior art devices have typically included a cuff member, which can be preliminarily secured about a limb of a patient to be restrained, and one or more straps. The straps, at least one of which may be operably attached to the cuff member, cooperate with an adjustment member so as to facilitate appropriate adjustment of the straps about the cuff member, and, in turn, about the limb of the patient. Such adjustment is intended to ensure that the restraining device is tight enough so as to substantially preclude the restrained limb from slipping out of securement from the cuff member. Substantial immobilization of the limb to be restrained is then achieved by merely securing one end of one of the straps to the fixed object. An example of one prior art limb restraining devices can be found in Witzel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,925.
Although many prior art limb restraining devices have been effective in substantially immobilizing the limbs of a patient, problems with use of some of these devices have occurred occasionally when the patient attempts to move the substantially restrained limb in a direction away from the object to which the strap is affixed. Such movement of the limb, which may result in the strap being pulled or tugged, could cause the previously adjusted strap to inadvertently come out of adjustment, and, in turn, tighten about the cuff member. Indeed, when such tightening occurs, the strap encircled about the cuff member can, on some prior art products, cause excessive constriction thereto, and, in turn, to the limb--potentially exposing the patient to unnecessary pain, and, with some devices, injury, to the restrained limb.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable limb holder apparatus which isolates tension caused to the strap member, as a result of attempted movement of the substantially restrained limb by the patient, between a substantially central region on the cuff member and the object to which the strap is affixed--so as to prevent potential painful and injurious constriction which may otherwise result from the strap encircling the cuff member during such attempted movement of the substantially restrained limb.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable limb holder apparatus wherein the strap member encircling the cuff member, after it has been secured about the limb of a patient, will not inadvertently come out of adjustment as a result of attempted movement of the substantially restrained limb by the patient.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable limb holder apparatus which can be preliminarily adjusted so as to conform to different size limbs.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims and drawings.